Author Webpage

In the meantime, while you're here, pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup of coffee or a cuppa tea, have a piece of pie and always feel free to speak your mind, and your heart, here at Meanderings and Muses.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Food Memories by Lesa Holstine

Lesa Holstine blogs at Lesa's Book Critiques, where she reviews a little of everything, emphasizing mysteries. She's a library manager who was awarded the Arizona Library Association's 2011 Outstanding Library Service Award.

Food Memories
byLesa Holstine

As I write this, I'm about to start a memoir by Donia Bijan called Maman's Homesick Pie: A Persian Heart in an American Kitchen. And, I'm starting to see a pattern here. On my blog, Lesa's Book Critiques, I say I specialize in mysteries. However, in the last year alone, I've reviewed three "novels with food," as author Brian O'Reilly calls them, three food memoirs, and eight mysteries involving food. I've hosted quarterly brown bag luncheons in which I talk about books and the attendees bring their lunch. We do monthly brown bag luncheons and an annual potluck for the library staff, in which we bring our lunches and talk about books. Next week, I'm hosting a tea for Jacqueline Winspear to celebrate the release of her new book, Elegy for Eddie. And, I'm even attending a release party for Kevin Hearne's new book, Tricked, at an Irish pub where dinner will be served. Atticus, the Iron Druid, hangs out at a pub called Rula Bula in Tempe, Arizona. So, the release party for Tricked will be held at Rula Bula.

Do you find that food and books go hand-in-hand? I could say it's all about comfort food. But, I think it's not just comfort food. I think it's memory food. I think food brings back memories. And, sharing food, just like sharing good books, is a way of sharing memories. A couple of my favorite authors, Sarah Addison Allen and Barbara O'Neal, write magical realism novels that involve food. Their books, along with books I read in the last year, Angelina's Bachelors by Brian O'Reilly and The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry, involve loss and memory and food.

These books all evoke memories for me, even if I've never eaten the foods discussed in the stories. But, they take me home to my grandmother and my mother, to shared laughter with my sisters. Food, whether it's preparation or meals, gives us the opportunity to spend time with people we love. When I first went to my doctor after Jim died two years ago, I'd put on a few pounds. My doctor is younger than me, but very wise in some ways. He said he'd rather see that I had put on weight than lost it. He said people who lose weight after a death are often isolating themselves. Those who put on weight are spending time with people, eating with them, talking with them, moving on. (Maybe I've been spending TOO much time with people.)

I could probably write my own story about food and family. In fact, I've shared family recipes on Janet Rudolph's Dying for Chocolate and Mystery Lover's Kitchen. I could tell you about my grandmother's simple sloppy joe recipe. There's a certain way to eat the gumdrop bars my mother sends me every Christmas. I close my eyes when I take the first bite, to savor the smell and taste. Those gumdrop bars are the smell of Christmas for me. There's the frozen lemon pudding that has induced family rivalry over the years. I'm the oldest of three, and my sisters used to complain my mother only made frozen lemon pudding when I came home from college. Now, at holiday time, my youngest sister will still tease, guess what we had for dessert, and you weren't here. When I went home this last Christmas, one sister brought wine and her husband's quiche at the start of the visit, and my youngest sister brought springerles to bake at the house, a recipe she learned from her mother-in-law. Food is so connected with memories in my family that we even have a recipe known only as Funeral Rice because someone brought it to the house after my grandfather died.

Linda

Christie

There's something magical about food books, something that makes me nostalgic for those foods and people I love. The book might be Barbara O'Neal's The Secret of Everything or Sarah Addison Allen's Garden Spells. I don't read these books just because the recipes are enticing and they make me drool. Food brings us together, gives us a chance to share. And, the books take me back to the people I love, memories and times I want to share.

So, do you want to share? What food takes you home? What book evokes memories for you?

10 comments:

Lesa, what a lovely post. Any book about bread baking brings me back to my childhood images of my Mom baking bread and buns. I can see her, with her short, strong arms kneading that yeasty smelling dough. Also, the mystery by Katherine Hall Page that takes place in Norway brings back memories of the Norwegian foods we ate (and still eat) at holiday meals.

Isn't it wonderful, Bobbi, to be able to read books that evoke those memories for us? And, often, they really have no relation to our actual life, but there is something in those books involving food that touch our lives.

What a lovely post.Yes, food takes us home. I love books with food, too. Joanne Harris' Chocolat and some other chocolate books, of course, but also the books that mention foods I've never heard of.. but now make. I love to read about food, I think, even more than make it!

Hi Lesa,There are a couple of book series that I have continued to read more for the recipes in the stories than the actual mystery!Lefsa at Christmas "takes mehome" as does nessleroad pie and date pies (which are actually a cookie). And my mom made our bread-so anytime I smell bread baking or even that yeasty smell of dough rising I get the warm fuzzies.

I love this post. What you say is so true. I often take hints and recipes from the mysteries I read. My most-used cooking tip came from one of Barbara D'Amato's Cat Marsala mysteries. It was just an off-hand tip from a character in the book, but it has saved many a scrambled egg in my kitchen.We are a large family of foodies and bookworms. My recipes long occupied a green looseleaf binder known as the Green Book. The day came when I had to replace the binder, and only a black one was available. Doesn't matter. When one of my kids asks about a recipe, the question always goes "Is it in the Green Book?"

Janet, I agree with you. I'd much rather read about food than actually make it! Why doesn't it surprise me that you mentioned chocolate? (smile)

Caryn, One of my favorite tips came from a mystery, but it wasn't really a cooking tip. Did you know club soda gets stains out of carpet? Works better for cat accidents than any cleaning supply I ever bought. Straight from a mystery.

Oh, Robin. That's a great memory your kids will always have. Years from now, they'll still refer to "The Green Book." I think that's a wonderful family memory.

Thank you for inviting me, Kaye! It doesn't surprise me at all that you and I appreciate the same authors, connected with magic and food, and just beauty in their books. We don't always read the same books, but we both appreciate the people who write with love and give us their souls. I'm thinking of Louise Penny. And, even her books have wonderful connections with food. Hugs, Kaye!

HEIDI will always say toasted cheese to me, and FIVE LITTLE PEPPERS pointed out how precious a raisin can make a piece of bread. I would say food and books definitely go together, although lush descriptions don't tend to people the crime fiction I read.

I love it that those childhood favorites bring back memories of food. I read a lot of food mysteries. Of course, Robert B. Parker's Spenser was always enjoying wonderful food. Then, there's Avery Aames, Jenn McKinlay, Cleo Coyle. I already mentioned Louise Penny's books set in Three Pines and the food at the bistro. I could go on and on.

Short Story Winner

"Oh, Kaye!" A monthly feature at Jungle Red

Look for me at Jungle Red the first Sunday of each month. Just click this picture and you will magically arrive in the land of Jungle Red Writers. Eight smart and sassy crime fiction writers dish on writing and life. It's The View. With bodies. - And now, me. As resident commentator, reader, visionary, mystery maven, arbiter, pundit and prognosticator. Kind of like Andy Rooney, 'cept I'm still living

IT'S ALL RELATIVE

WOMEN'S SPACES WOMEN'S PLACES

CLOTHES LINES from 75 Western North Carolina Women Writers

CLOTHES LINES from 75 Western North Carolina Women Writers

I'm a lover of words and a lover of images.

The photos you see in the blog posts were mostly shot by me or by husband Donald. Or, they're old family photos - a lovely little benefit of being a part of families who recognized the beauty of preserving our history through photography.

If the photos are not ours, I have tried whenever possible to caption or link the photos to their source. This hasn't always been possible as there are a lot of uncredited images available through the internet.

My sincere thanks to the generosity of so many talented photographers who so graciously share their work for so many of us to enjoy, share and learn from.

IF you see a photo here that is a copyright infringement, please send me an email (barleykw @ appstate dot com) and I'll remove it immediately.

Books Read

Every year I promise myself I'm going to keep a log of books I'm reading. And I immediately forget. Then I remember again, but only after I've already read a few books, but can't be sure I'll remember them all and so - - can't bring myself to start the list. It's sort of like missing the first 30 minutes of a movie. I just can't watch it if I've missed the beginning. And being the anal ol' soul I am, I can't bring myself to start a list if I can't be sure it's going to be a complete one.So.I decided to keep a list during 2010 and found it to be a fun thing. Especially for a compulsive list-maker like myself.

FTC Disclosure Notice

FTC has a new regulation which went into effect in December, 2009 which says, basically - "Amateur Bloggers to Disclose Freebies or Be Fined." Significantly fined. So. Since I happen to be an amateur blogger who sometimes receives free books, here's my required FTC Disclosure Notice: Dear FTC - Regarding review copies of books obtained for this blog. No other compensation is accepted beyond review copies of books - ever. When I do write a review, or opinion, the source of the book cited will be disclosed in the post in which the review/opinon appears. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me.